A delegation from the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO), consisting of current and former leaders of the organization and professionals from the European port sector, visited the facilities of TTI Algeciras coinciding with the ESPO Chairs Meeting held at the Port of Algeciras.
The delegation was led by the president of ESPO and executive director of the Port of Riga, Ansis Zeltiņš, alongside the vice president of the organization and director of Strategic Planning at HAROPA Port, Cédric Virciglio, and the secretary general of ESPO, Isabelle Ryckbost. The current governing structure of the organization is composed of Zeltiņš as president and Virciglio and the president of the Port Authority of the Bay of Algeciras, Gerardo Landaluce, as vice presidents for the period 2024-2026.
The visit also brought together several former presidents of ESPO. Among them are Santiago García-Milà, deputy general director of Innovation and Business Strategy of the Port of Barcelona, who presided over ESPO from 2012 to 2016; Eamonn O'Reilly, former president of the organization and current president of the jury for the ESPO Awards; and Victor Schoenmakers, former director of Corporate Strategy of the Port of Rotterdam and also a former president of ESPO.
David Criekemans, a professor specialized in international politics and geopolitics, also participated. Criekemans himself reported on his intervention before the ESPO management to analyze the current geopolitical challenges and his subsequent tour of the Port of Algeciras.
At TTI Algeciras, the terminal's CEO, Alonso Luque, accompanied the delegation during the tour of the facilities and explained its operation and functioning. The meeting also allowed for the exchange of perspectives on the main issues currently affecting the European port system.
TTI Algeciras has been operating at Isla Verde Exterior since May 2010 and was the first semi-automated terminal in the Mediterranean and southern Europe. It currently has a concessioned area of 300,119 square meters, in addition to a public maneuvering area of 57,621 square meters, and features two berths measuring 850 and 550 meters. Its current capacity stands at 1.6 million TEUs annually.
The visit also coincides with the terminal's expansion process. TTI announced in April that the approved project includes the incorporation of an additional 15.9 hectares from Phase B of Isla Verde Exterior and an investment of 150 million euros. According to the company, the action will allow for an additional 500,000 TEUs of capacity and reach 2.1 million TEUs annually by 2028, as well as extending the concession until 2066.
The meeting in Algeciras takes place three months after the ESPO Annual Conference held in Gdansk, where the organization addressed issues related to competitiveness, security, energy transition, and the adaptation of European ports to changes in logistics chains. Gerardo Landaluce participated then as vice president of ESPO in debates on the European emissions trading scheme, the electrification of berths, and the investment needs of community ports.
ESPO's presence at the Port of Algeciras has a direct precedent. In August 2021, Isabelle Ryckbost visited the Bay of Algeciras to personally deliver the ESPO Award 2020 to the APBA, awarded to the innovation management and culture program called "Innovation Journey." During that stay, ESPO's Secretary General toured the two container terminals in the port, TTI Algeciras and APM Terminals Algeciras, and held a working meeting with the president and general director of the APBA and representatives from business associations in the port community.
ESPO, established in 1993 and based in Brussels, represents the common interests of European port authorities, administrations, and associations before the institutions of the European Union and also functions as a knowledge exchange network among its members.